Pathways
by Hinn-Raven
Summary: Their mentors are out of reach, possibly forever. They're stranded in a different world, and all they have is each other. But the Team is hardly going to let that stop them. With a little planning and a bit of patience, they will create the Justice League of the new world. Because there is always a need for heroes.
1. Prologue

******A/N: So this is a story I've had in the works for a while. After quite a bit of work, I'm beginning to post.  
**

******This story starts between 'Secrets' and 'Misplaced,' so Zatanna is not part of the Team yet. As much as I love her, I started the story before she joined the Team, and I wasn't willing to start over to include her.  
**

******Special thanks to my wonderful beta-reader Catchandelier for all of her help!  
**

******I'm only going to do this once for the story, so here it goes: I don't own Young Justice, or any of the characters. All rights go to DC, and I make no profit out of this endeavor at all.  
**

******And with no further adieu, the story begins.  
**

* * *

**Prologue**

**Location: Undisclosed  
**

**Date: October 30  
**

**Time: 22:31 EST  
**

_"Once again, the young 'heroes' interfere with our plans." _

_"I must admit, I am growing tired of their continuous meddling." _

_"I for one am beginning to doubt that our original plan to deal with them will succeed."_

_"How so? Artemis's insecurities will be simple enough to prey upon, Psimon has informed me that he has sensed an exploitable secret within the Martian girl's mind, and the Superboy…"_

_"Superboy's programming was not complete. Nothing is guaranteed."_

_"Do you have that little faith in the 'Shields' you have designed."_

_"Not at all. However, Superboy has proved… unpredictable in the past."_

_"Agreed. Not to mention, I personally find it worrisome that the plan does not cover Kid Flash, Aqualad, or Robin. The Detective's protégé in particular could cause problems…"_

_"Still sulking about laser then?"_

_"Meow."_

_"Oh, fine, I'll drop it…" _

_"Do you actually believe they pose a __**threat**__ to our goal?"_

_"I do not. At the same time, we believed that they would never be able to interfere in many of our intermediate stages, and yet they have done so quite frequently."_

_"It could be simple to remedy such a problem."_

_"The entire Team being murdered could cause a problem."_

_"Death is too simple, too easy. The Justice League would not rest until they uncovered who was responsible. And it could be possible for them to trace it to us."_

_"Not if we're careful."_

_"But possible, nevertheless. Perhaps, something… else could be arranged?"_

_"Ooh, I've got __**just**__ the thing for those brats!"_

* * *

**Location: Happy Harbor  
**

**Date: November 3  
**

**Time: 16:16 EST**

"Watch out!" M'gann shouted, lifting another boulder into the air to block the sonic attack from Shocker.

The sound-manipulator fired again at Robin, still furious that Robin had managed to destroy his machine. (Yes, Batman had told them to observe and report only, except in the case of emergency. However, as Robin had pointed out, a villain managing to block all noise in a twenty-mile radius counted.) Robin somersaulted over the blast, smirking, before throwing smoke pellets at Shocker.

"Superboy, I need to get into the air!" Artemis shouted, drawing an arrow. "I'll need a clear shot if I'm going to take out that generator he's wearing."

Superboy nodded, and cupped his hands. Artemis placed a foot in his hand, and jumped. The arrow hissed through the air, landing in the middle of the problematic device. Bulls-eye. Shocker stumbled backwards, gloved hands going to the arrow, trying to pull it out. He fell over, now feeling the full weight of his bulky suit without the electronics to help compensate for it.

"Good shot," Robin said, smirking at Artemis, tucking his batarang back into his utility belt. He walked over to Shocker, smirking. He grabbed Shocker's gloved hands, and started to remove the gloves.

"Thanks," Artemis said to Robin before turning to Kaldur. "Call the League. Tell them it's over."

Kaldur nodded in agreement, and reached down to press the omega symbol on his belt to activate his com link.

"Don't you _wish_," a familiar voice cackled.

"Klarion!" Kaldur said, drawing his water-bearers once again.

Klarion grinned, and waved his hand almost lazily. A bright surge of energy soared through the air towards them.

"Hit the deck!" Wally yelled as it soared over their heads.

The explosion threw M'gann out of the air, landing right on top of Conner. Kaldur gave a cry of pain. Robin was sent careening into Artemis. Wally found his face planted firmly in the ground.

Everything went black.

* * *

**Location: Happy Harbor  
**

**Date: November 3  
**

**Time: 16:23 EST**

Batman looked at the crater. The Team had been here just moments ago, alive and well after a simple, routine mission.

His left hand clenched into a fist by his side as he checked the small device in his other hand to see if there was any sign of the tracking device that Robin carried with him at all times. There still wasn't. Batman restarted the device again. The equipment had to be faulty. There could be no other explanation.

Martian Manhunter stood to one side, eyes closed as he tried to contact the teens telepathically. He opened his eyes, sorrow rumbling in his voice. "Nothing."

"That can't be right," Barry said, looking absolutely panicked. "That _can't_ be right! They were just here!"

"That was _before_ the explosion," J'ohnn said.

"What caused it?" Batman said, voice calm, although everyone could _feel_ the pure rage radiating off the man.

"It is magical in origin," Zatara said, frowning, "But beyond that, I cannot tell."

"Keep trying," Batman said flatly.

"But there's no sign of them," Ollie said, going into the crater. Something tightened in Batman's chest, but he hid it well. The man had no right to step in the place where they—he refused to allow himself to complete that thought. "There's nothing. No weapons, no bodies… nothing. The explosion wouldn't have demolished everything."

Black Canary leaned down, and touched the charred ground. "We'll figure it out," she whispered, more to herself than anyone. "We'll find them."

"_Yfitnedi eht lacigam ygrene!_" Zatara shouted, and the whole area glowed. He turned to Batman, suddenly looking hopeful. "They are alive!"

"Where are they?" Barry demanded, suddenly at the side of the League's magician.

Zatara looked right at Batman. "Another dimension."

Relief chorused through the entire League. Superman placed a hand on Batman's shoulder.

"We'll find them," Superman encouraged his old friend. "We have the technology."

Batman looked directly at Superman, eyes narrowed. "And countless worlds to find them on."

Superman had nothing to say to that.

* * *

**Location: The Watchtower  
**

**Date: November 10  
**

**Time: 12:38 EST**

"After three hours," Captain Atom said a week later, looking at Batman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, and a royally pissed off Red Arrow, "The device will send another portal into the dimension, and you will be able to return with the Team."

There were nods all around, and Captain Atom activated the device.

The air crackled around them, and the eight Leaguers and Red Arrow held their breath, unsure of what they would see as they entered the world that their protégés, children, friends, and partners had disappeared into.

Superman looked around, relaxing slightly as he recognized the darkened hallways of the Watchtower. "There's a League here," he commented.

"Yeah, but on what side?" Green Arrow commented, hands tight on his longbow.

"Let's find out," Red Arrow suggested, stepping forward, intent on investigating.

"Stay back!" the voice of a young girl said. "This is restricted area! Justice League members only!" A silhouette of a tall girl with a pony tail and a compound bow was visible. Green Arrow and Black Canary relaxed slightly. Artemis was alright. "Robin! Superboy! Get in here, we've got intruders!"

"Coming!" a voice that Batman didn't recognize called, and a young boy, but still older than Dick, wearing the Robin suit entered the hallway, batarangs in hand. The boy's eyes narrowed beneath the lenses of his mask as he took in the silhouetted Leaguers. "Access system, authorization Robin, B-02. Lights on."

The lights flickered on in the hallway, and the unfamiliar boy stared at the League. "Speedy? What's going on?"

A closer look revealed that the archer was not Artemis. Her outfit and weapon, while similar to Artemis's, were red, not green. Her hair was shorter and red. Her cowl was different, with her eyes completely hidden by white lenses. Confusion covered her face as she took in the League. Her eyes landed on Red Arrow, and her grip on her bow tightened, her lips narrowing into a thin line.

A second boy entered the room, this one wearing the S-Shield. However, this boy was clearly not Conner. The boy was older by a year or two, and wore a blue shirt with a black S logo, with dark pants and a bright red cape. The boy blinked, but otherwise didn't react to the presence of strangers within the Watchtower. "Access the Oracle. Authorization Superboy B-04. DNA scan the intruders."

A mechanical resounded from all sides of the hallway. "Recognized, Wonder Woman, Justice League. Recognized, Ollie Queen, Justice League Associate. Recognized, Dinah Lance-Queen, Justice League Associate." Black Canary and Ollie exchanged raised eyebrows at her altered surname. "Recognized, Clark Kent, Justice League. Recognized, Bruce Wayne, Justice League Associate. Recognized Roy Harper, Justice League Associate. Not recognized, three life-forms."

The three looked at each other. "Come with us," the one called Speedy said, gesturing with her bow.

"Are you threatening us?" Superman said, eying the girl with distaste. "An arrow won't hurt me."

The girl's lips tightened. "You broke into the Watchtower. That classifies you as a threat, until you are cleared by Senior Justice League members. And since you bring that up…" the girl reached into her quiver, pulling out an odd looking arrow from her quiver. "Kryptonite Arrow. I press _this_," she fingered what appeared to be a little lever, "And the lead comes off."

The boy with the S-Shield threw her a look. "You _had_ to bring out the Kryptonite?"

She flashed an apologetic smile. "Sorry Superboy."

"I'll protect you Supey!" a little girl declared, popping up behind the other dimension's Superboy.

"Kid Flash…" Speedy said, glaring at the younger girl. "You are _supposed_ to be with Nightfire and Apollo."

The girl in spandex looked at Speedy with wide eyes. "But I _am_ with them! They're right there!" She gestured towards the doorway, where a small red-haired boy, around her own height, holding a bow, and a dark haired girl who was floating in the air, hands glowing with a faint green light were.

"Lovely," Speedy growled. "Now let's get moving. Robin, can you contact the League?"

"On it," the dark-haired boy said, touching his ear for a communicator. "Robin to Justice League. We've got a—" he looked at the League with an expression that Batman couldn't discern. The boy swallowed, and continued. "A Priority Alpha situation."

The dark haired girl who was floating in the air zoomed up to Robin, eyes wide. "Priority _Alpha_? You mean—"

"I mean it," the other Robin said, voice bitter. "Let's get to the main room. They're teleporting in soon."

The League followed the kids, still confused.

* * *

**Location: The Watchtower  
**

**Date: Unknown  
**

**Time: Unknown  
**

"Robin, what's going on?" a red-haired woman in a wheel chair demanded as they entered the main room of the Watchtower. "And what's this about sending out a Priority Alpha? This is completely—" she caught sight of the League following the children, and paled. "Oh my God. It's them, isn't it?"

"We think so," Speedy said, keeping her distance from the group, expression carefully neutral. "They match the description, except for presence of their Superman," she said, throwing a look at the Man of Steel.

Superman flinched under the girl's glare. The woman groaned. "Brilliant. Brilliant."

"Where are our kids?" Barry demanded. "And who the hell are you?"

The woman looked at him, eyes tired. "I'm the Oracle. I run the Watchtower, and the World Wide Information Network. And your kids are on their way. They never miss a Priority Alpha."

"Never," A boy wearing a green version of Roy's old outfit (minus the hat)—Apollo, maybe—agreed.

"Incoming teleport," Oracle suddenly said, propelling her chair forward and pressing buttons. "Clear landing pad, we've got incoming molecules."

A group materialized. Something caught in Bruce's throat.

There was a Batman, a Flash, and a Superman. Yes, the Batman was shorter, and his outfit was a bit more streamlined and the Superman wore a cape that was shorter, but that was an excusable difference between dimensions.

What wasn't excusable was that there was the tall woman wearing an outfit similar to Green Arrow's, with the hood pulled down, revealing a head of blonde hair. Or the Aquaman with dark skin and tattoos on his arms. Or the Martian woman with short red hair.

These were _their_ children.

The Justice League.

* * *

**A/N: And so it begins. The rest of the story will be how they got to that point.  
**

**Thank you for spending your time on this!  
**

**Hinn-Raven  
**


	2. Year 0

**Year 0**

Artemis pushed Robin off her, reaching for her bow as she got to her feet. She scanned the area, looking for Klarion. He wasn't there.

"He's gone," Wally said, getting to his feet. "Where'd he go?"

"He could be anywhere," Conner growled, helping M'gann to her feet.

"Is anyone injured?" Kaldur asked, looking at everyone.

Artemis wasn't listening. Something was _wrong_. Her eyes flickered around the clearing, trying to decipher what. She clutched her bow tightly, knuckles white.

"Artemis?" She jerked as Robin placed a hand on her arm. "What's wrong?"

"I don't…" She trailed off. How could she explain it? Artemis just _knew_ something was off here. Something was wrong with this situation, she just couldn't put her finger on it… suddenly, she figured it out, and her eyes jolted towards the sky, freezing as she confirmed what she'd suspected.

Moments ago, the sun had been low in the sky, not quite setting, but almost there. Now, it was almost directly overhead, messing with the shadows, which would be what Artemis had noticed originally. She might not live in the shadows like Robin or Jade, but she lived with a healthy fear of them, and knew how to observe or use them as she pleased.

"Robin," she said, looking at him. "Look at the sky."

It was almost comical, watching her whole team tilt their heads up in sync. Robin reached for his communicator. "How?" Wally muttered.

"Klarion," M'gann said, looking worried. "He must have sent us back… or forwards through time."

"Why would he do that?" Wally asked, green eyes incredulous.

"Good question Wally," Robin said, looking pale. "But wrong one."

"What's the right question then?" Wally demanded.

"How _far_ did we get sent—and in what direction?"

Artemis placed a hand on a nearby tree. "Can't have been too far either way. The plants all look about the same—none are much bigger or missing."

"Trees don't exactly pop up overnight," Wally pointed out.

"No, but the flowers are all in the same season," Artemis said. "So we're probably not too far."

"Let's get to a town, find the date, and then contact the League," M'gann said.

* * *

**Location: Happy Harbor**

**Date: Unknown**

**Time: Unknown**

Happy Harbor looked about the same as it had been the day before. M'gann used a quarter to buy a newspaper, while Conner scouted for civilian clothes for Kaldur, Wally, Artemis and Robin.

"I'd rather wear my uniform," Artemis said disgustedly, looking at a pair of baggy jeans with butterflies sewn onto them and a pink long sleeved v-neck shirt that Conner had found.

"I'd wear them for you, but I don't think the shirt would go with my complexion," Robin sighed, zipping up the hoodie. Conner had managed to scrounge up an outfit that looked ridiculously close to the civvies that he wore around Mount Justice, complete with sunglasses.

Wally was wearing a turtleneck and skinny jeans ensemble that actually looked pretty good on him (not that Artemis would _ever _admit such a thing out loud), and Kaldur looked perfectly at home in a high neck sweater and jeans. It was only Artemis who was forced to wear clothes that she normally would never wear.

"It wouldn't," Artemis nodded seriously in agreement and tugged on the shirt over her uniform, followed by the jeans. She made a face. "Brilliant."

"Uh, what about your…" Wally gestured to the high collar of her uniform, which was still visible. Artemis rolled her eyes and held up the black scarf that Conner had found for her. "Ah."

M'gann entered the bio-ship, still looking Caucasian and dressed as Megan Morse. She looked shaken.

"M'gann?" Conner was by her side in an instant, worried. "M'gann, what's…?"

She held out a newspaper. _November 10 2005_, the headline read.

"Six years," Robin said, frowning. "Brilliant… none of us exist as heroes yet. It'll be hard to get the League to believe us…"

"That's not the issue," M'gann said, voice quiet.

"What is?" Wally asked, eating a granola bar that Conner had scrounged up for him.

"Look," she said, pointing to the title of the newspaper.

"What's the matter?" Wally asked, peering. "Don't like to read _The Happy Harbor Herald_? Because I can't blame you if you don't; that is an awful name for a newspaper..."

Conner looked worried now. "That's not the name of the paper," he said.

"Happy Harbor's doesn't _have_ a newspaper!" M'gann said. "Let alone a daily one!"

"Oh, this can't be good," Robin muttered, firing up the computer on his glove.

Artemis peered over his shoulder, watching as he pulled up CNN, the New York Times, and the Daily Planet websites. "Right on the dot," Artemis said, eyes wide as she focused on one particular article.

"That can't be right," Robin said, sounding slightly panicked. "It _can't_ be!"

"Rob, what is it?" Wally looked concerned for his best friend. "What's wrong?"

"Timelines," Robin muttered, hands flying over holographic keys. "Dimensions. This can't be _right_!"

"What _is it_, Robin?" Kaldur demanded, voice calm. Robin slowly rotated his wrist to show them the holographic screen of his computer, where a slightly modified version of Google was clearly visible.

**_No results for Justice League_**

**_No results for Superman_**

**_No results for Batman_**

"We haven't travelled through time," Robin said, slumping. "We're in another dimension. One where we don't have any heroes to help us."

The whole group sat in shocked silence.

They were alone.

* * *

**Location: Gotham City**

**Date: November 11, 2005**

**Time: 13:42 EST **

The six teens sat in the small, abandoned warehouse they had found within Gotham City, and stared in front of them, where they had piled all of their tools for surviving within this new reality they had found themselves in.

Robin's entire arsenal, including a handful of small, but valuable pieces of jewelry that could easily be pawned, Artemis's quiver full of arrows, and her wallet, which contained her student ID and twenty dollars in cash that wouldn't work in this reality, because the dates were from the future, and a small stash of food that Wally had located.

They needed a plan.

"They'll find us, won't they?" M'gann said, leaning into Superboy's arm, looking a few years older at Robin's suggestion. They needed an adult with them, or they risked attracting too much attention. And at the moment, attention was the last thing that they needed.

"Of course they will," Robin said, smiling at her comfortingly. "But we don't know how long it'll take them to make contact. So we'll need to start at least the basics of a life here."

Artemis nodded. "It'll be easy enough. Robin's got the tools to forge the documents we'll need, and he can fake a paper trail easily enough."

"Add some back-story, a little bit of hacking, a tiny bit of shape-shifting magic, and _boom_, this team has always lived in this dimension!" Wally said jovially.

M'gann smiled back.

"What if they don't find us for years?" Conner said quietly, holding M'gann close. "I mean, you said there were an unknown number of alternate universes…"

"Actually, an unknow_able_ number—" Wally began, before catching Kaldur's glare. "Shutting up now."

Kaldur placed a hand on Conner's shoulder. "If that is what happens, we will handle it."

"And besides," Robin said, smirking. "We'll be able to use tech to find our way back home! We know where _we're_ from, so it'll be a piece of cake, once we've got the tech."

"And how long will that take?"

Wally and Robin exchanged glances. "Don't know for sure," Wally admitted.

"We'll do the math," Robin said with a shrug, firing up his computer once again.

* * *

**Location: Gotham City**

**Date: November 13 2005**

**Time: 19:23 EST**

"We can't afford secrets," Aqualad said quietly, a few weeks later, as he looked around the room.

"What do you mean?" M'gann asked, looking worried.

Artemis bit her lip, clearly conflicted.

"If Wally and Robin have done their calculations correctly—"

"There's still a thirteen percent chance of error," Wally protested, looking at Kaldur. "We can't know for sure—"

"Nevertheless," Kaldur said firmly. "You are estimating _ten years_ before we will have access to the technology that will allow us to return home, am I correct?"

"That's right," Robin said. "But for all we know, the League could find us any day now."

"They could," Aqualad agreed, stance firm. "However, that would indicate that they know where to _look_ for us. As you pointed out, Robin, they will be searching for us through countless dimensions. It could take them years to discover us in this one."

"And _that's_ working under the idea that time flows the same in the two dimensions," Wally said quietly. "For all we know, we could have been missing for _years_ already back home."

"Or it could be the other way," Artemis offered. "We could spend a few years here, but it'll only have been a few seconds."

"Like Narnia?" Wally shot at her.

"Exactly. Now all we have to do is beat the White Witch," Artemis said, grinning. "I'm obviously Susan—"

"Regardless," Aqualad said, carefully steering the conversation back to the point. "We have no idea how long we shall be here." He looked around the Team, making eye contact with each of them. "I know we all have secrets, and our own reasons for keeping them. But here and now, we need to stand united. We will be hiding everything from the rest of the world; we cannot afford to hide anything from each other."

Artemis swallowed as she looked around the group. Her friends, her teammates, her _family_. She clenched her fists. What would they think of her, if they knew the truth about her, about her family? She bit her lip, knowing she should speak up. But how could she begin?

Robin reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing. "It's okay Artemis," he said softly. "You don't have to start." He reached up and pulled off his sunglasses slowly. "Hello everyone!" He grinned at them. "My name is Dick Grayson."

Artemis froze, looking at him. Slowly, deliberately, she raised her hand into the air, and delivered a smack onto the back of the Boy Wonder's head. "You _knew_." She glared at the little troll.

"Yep!" He looked unrepentant, and smirked at her. Artemis's eyes narrowed, before allowing a small smile to creep onto her face.

"What did he know?" Wally asked, looking between Artemis and Dick.

"I live in Gotham City," Artemis said after a long pause.

"You do?" M'gann said, looking confused. "But I thought you lived in Star City like your uncle—"

"He's not my uncle," Artemis said, cutting her off. She took a deep breath, placing her hands on her knees. "He suggested we say that after I asked…" she paused, before plunging forward. "After I asked that you guys wouldn't be told about my family. He thought it would work as an acceptable cover story." She looked up, and noticed that Kaldur didn't look surprised. She wondered if she had Red Arrow to thank for that, or Batman.

"Why would you want your family to be a secret?" Conner asked, looking at her.

"Because my dad is—_was_, Sportsmaster." Artemis swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry as paper before plunging forward again. "My mom was a criminal known as Huntress. And my sister—my sister's Cheshire."

Kaldur's eyebrows shot up, but Robin looked unsurprised. She didn't look at Wally. She didn't want to see.

"Is that what Sportsmaster meant by having a mole on the Team?" Kaldur asked softly.

"No!" Artemis snarled, but Dick saw how she went tense. This was exactly what she'd been afraid of. Accusations, fear, distrust. She was afraid of no longer being Artemis the hero, their teammate, their _friend_, but Artemis, the daughter of criminals. All of Artemis's worst fears were coming to life now, just as she had spilled her secrets. "I haven't seen him since the night I became a hero, when my mom kicked him to the curb! I haven't had _anything_ to do with him since." Her hands were tightening, knuckles white.

Dick reached out and grabbed her hands again. "Hey, it's okay," he told her softly. "Remember, you're not with your family anymore. You're one of us."

"I am sorry if I sounded as if I was accusing you," Kaldur said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know you would not betray us. I was simply inquiring if that was what he had meant us to believe. If he was attempting to cast suspicion on you so that we would cast you out."

Artemis closed her eyes, but not before Dick noted that her eyes were bright with tears. "I don't know," she said, voice tight. "Like I said, I haven't talked to him since July. Not since he went off to Santa Prisca."

Dick squeezed her hand. "Thanks for trusting us," he said quietly. Wally shot him a dark look. Dick raised an eyebrow in return.

Artemis just nodded, not opening her eyes. But for a split second, she squeezed back.

"We're dating," Conner offered, arm still around M'gann's shoulder.

Artemis and Robin started laughing like a couple of maniacs, and Kaldur smiled. Wally rolled his eyes, because even _he_ had noticed that, and… well, it had taken a while. But he _had_ caught on eventually!

Admittedly, it had taken quite a few public cuddles for him to catch on, but he _had_, that's what mattered.

"Okay, so Dick, Artemis and Conner did their spilling," Wally said, sounding a bit petulant, not happy that his best friend was holding hands with the girl who he most certainly did _not_ like. "Who's next?"

"Me," M'gann said quietly.

"I swear, I was kidding," Wally said, raising his hands into the air.

* * *

**Location: Gotham City**

**Date: November 13 2005**

**Time: 22:37 EST**

The Team huddled around the computer, watching as Robin flipped through the profiles of their mentors, friends, and family in this dimension.

Oliver Queen ran Queen Industries, was a prosperous CEO, adopted father of Roy Harper, was married to Dinah Lance, and was most certainly not Green Arrow. There _was_ no Green Arrow.

There was no Justice League.

Lawrence 'Crusher' Crock was in prison for the attempted murder of Bruce Wayne. He wouldn't get out for twenty years at least. Paula Crock had died in a car accident three months prior to his arrest.

The police suspected foul play, but there wasn't any proof. The couple only had one daughter, Jade, who was going to college in Star City, and apparently dating Roy Harper. But Artemis Crock didn't exist.

Barry Allen was a police scientist, and was married to Iris West. They had two children named Don and Dawn, who were in college. Mary and Rudy West were married, but had no children.

The Flash had never been seen.

There had been no contact with Atlantis, but Robin was sure that it existed. Kaldur resolved to go and search for it once they had finished hollowing out Mount Justice. That was a difficult task, since they lacked Superman's heat-vision, but they were managing.

Mars, on the other hand, if life had ever existed on it, was long dead. M'gann mourned her planet and her family.

The Kents still lived on their farm in Smallville, but they didn't have a son. And as Robin pointed out, it would be nearly impossible to determine Krypton's state of being, or at least not with the technology that they had available to them at the moment.

There _had_ been an incident in Crime Alley all those years ago, but Bruce Wayne and his parents had been saved at the last minute by a rookie cop who had happened to be in the area at the time, named Jim Gordon, who was now the Police Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department. Batman had never been born. Instead, the entire Wayne family had turned their attentions and fortune to cleaning up Gotham.

But it wasn't going very well. Now Bruce Wayne was head of Wayne Enterprises, but his clean-up efforts weren't getting anywhere.

Richard Grayson was four years old and still flying with his parents. Dick looked at the poster for the Flying Graysons, and ignored the strange feeling in his chest.

* * *

**Location: Gotham City**

**Date: December 3 2005**

**Time: 8:54 EST**

They were currently living in an abandoned warehouse in Gotham City, as the group of teens forged paperwork and credit histories and identities. So far, they'd figured out that Robin was to be Richard Grayson, a computer prodigy who lived with his mother, Mary Grayson, who would be played by M'gann. Dick would be using his share of the money that they had received from pawning the jewelry to rent a small apartment, and had successfully managed to enroll himself in Gotham Academy under a full scholarship.

"I _don't_ want to know how you managed that," Artemis said.

Artemis had turned down Dick's offer to join him at Gotham Academy. Instead, she opted to go to Gotham North and live alone in a small apartment in the bad side of town. Conner agreed to initially pose as a father-type figure (heavy makeup and a beard helped with that) to help her move in, and then promptly disappear. The cover story would be that her dad was off doing small time crime and possibly drugs. At Gotham North, she would rarely need a parent's signature for anything, and if she did need it, she would fall back on her old habit from Middle School; forging signatures.

Conner Kent and his adoptive 'mother', Lana Kent, rented a nice apartment in Metropolis and enrolled in a local high school. With some help from Dick, he managed to secure a before-school job delivering _The_ _Daily Planet_ around town, which would help the Team continue to make ends meet.

Wally West and his Aunt Megan took out a mortgage and bought a house. ("_Someone_ needs to own a place big enough for all of us to hang out, and it might as well be you," Dick had informed Wally. "Have you _seen_ house pricing in Metropolis or Gotham? And that's not getting into insurance…") Wally got a job delivering pizzas off his bike, and Megan West, (who was around much more often than Dick Grayson's flighty, troubled mother, or Conner Kent's overworked, job hunting one) got herself a secretary position at the Police Department.

After much discussion among the group, they decided to postpone making M'gann her own identity until Wally was a legal adult. It would simplify things, and help throw their enemies (when they made them) off of their trail.

"Okay, so how are we going to do this?" Wally asked the others as he chowed down on his third pizza. "I mean, hollowing Mount Justice… it took Superman and the Lanterns to do that, and we don't have heat vision _or_ Green Lantern rings at our disposal."

"Well then," Dick said, pulling up his holographic computer. "We'll have to work something else out."

"I'm worried," Artemis said quickly. "Is anyone else worried?"

"Calm down," Dick said with a laugh. "I was just thinking that we could use telekinesis. Conner's also got super-strength, which should help…"

"You know, I bet I could design a laser-thing," Wally said, looking thoughtful. "If Rob helped me…"

"My magic will probably be of some use," Kaldur offered, smiling.

"This will be _so_ awesome!" Dick predicted, grinning.


	3. Wally West 1

**INCREDIBLY LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE ALERT, PLEASE READ: Thank you guys so much for your enthusiasm with this story! You guys have been completely amazing with all of your thoughts, feedback, favoriting and following!**

**Okay though, just a quick note about this universe.**

**I will not confirm or deny ANY pairings within this story except the following: ****Supermartian.**

**Why this one? Because it was canon when I started writing this story, and the story went AU from that point. This story, in case it wasn't clear, takes place over a VERY LONG period of time. And, although these are superheroes we're talking about here, I do attempt for some degree of realism. Very few people who get together during their high school careers stay together for the rest of their lives. So there will be multiple pairings among the Team. Some will last. Some will not. Some will get back together. Some will not. Some pairings will be shamelessly teased. Some pairings will just never happen because of how the story is set up. You guys might be able to guess at some of the pairings from the prologue, but apart from that...**

**I am a notorious omni-shipper, and this will show in the story. If you are a militant shipper of X pairing, you will probably be unhappy at one point or another, even if the ship is canon in this story at one point or another. Do know that if your ship DOES occur in this story, no matter how briefly it may be, I will try to treat it with as much respect and development as I can in the space I have. **

******So I'd just like to say this. It's probably not advisable to read this story for the pairings. This story is intended to be about the following things:**

******Family**

******Friendship**

******Superheroes kicking ass. **

******Pairings _will_ feature, of course. There will probably be entire chapters of this story (but this is going to be a VERY long story) that will focus on one pairing or another. However, I will try to balance things out. A pairing chapter will be balanced with a more gen one, a angst chapter with a happy one, etc. However, because I know there will be people who will say, "But I HATE Pairing/character/genre Y!" In order to help people who have that problem, after the six initial chapters (one for each of the six main characters) I will tag pairings, genres, and characters that appear in each chapter. When there are as many characters as I intend to feature, I believe this will be for the best. **

******Finally, I'd like to thank my beautiful beta-reader, Catchandelier for her help, and all of you that actually read this incredibly long author's note!**

******Disclaimer: The universe of Young Justice and all the beautiful characters it contains is not my property. **

* * *

**Location: Keystone**

**Date: January 14 2005**

**Time: 7:45 CST**

_Year 1—Wally_

Wally looked around. Keystone High School was almost exactly the same as he remembered it. Admittedly, things looked a bit newer, a bit cleaner, but still. The same hallways, same lockers he used to get shoved into, same terrifying, yet sweet little old lady behind the front desk (minus a few wrinkles), and judging from the smell from the cafeteria, same moderately toxic food.

He stood in the entrance hall, looking at the piece of paper that Lori the Terrifying Secretary of DOOM had given him with his locker number and combination on it.

"Hello," a dark haired boy said, walking up to him, eyes focused on five or six note cards in his hand. "My name is James Jesse. I will be your advisor, counselor and buddy for your first day. Welcome to Keystone High School, home of the Spartans five-time champion football team, insert name here!"

"Ignore him," a blonde boy said, appearing at James Jesse's elbow. "He wrote those five minutes ago, when he learned I was your 'peer advisor'. I'm pretty sure you ride a unicycle while juggling eggs at one point in there. I'm Hartley. You've just met James. He's a joker. Follow me if you want to avoid one-wheeled vehicles and rotten chicken babies."

He said this all in a deadpan that would make Kaldur proud, and Wally instantly decided that he liked this guy. And James too—the guy seemed like he crazy, but awesome. Kinda like Rob…  
"Nice to meet you," Wally said. "I'm Wally West."

"Woo!" James cheered, knocking Hartley out of the way, grabbing Wally's hand, and pumping it up and down with great enthusiasm. "Welcome to the Alliteration Alliance, my friend! Madison Joel transferred to Central East over the break, so you're locker is right next to mine!" He then grabbed the hand he had just been shaking and proceeded to use it to drag Wally along for the ride.

"I suppose I should supervise…" Hartley said dryly, following. "You know your combo?"  
"On the paper," Wally managed, trying to keep up with James without using superspeed. It was surprisingly hard.

They stopped at locker 882, and Wally entered the combination. (It was the exact same locker and combination that he had possessed first semester back home, which seriously raised a few questions about security there…) He dumped a few notebooks and a binder in there, just to make it feel less empty.

"Five… four… three… two…" James said, eying his watch. Wally turned to his hopeful-friend, suddenly worried.

"What's—" but before he could finish that sentence, Hartley plowed over him.

"What did you _do_?" Hartley demanded, eyes wide. "James, what did—" There was a loud series of _pops_ that echoed down the hallway that cut off Hartley's inquiries. Hartley looked furious. "JAMES!"

"Ah, don't get your pants all in one basket," James said airily, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Wally. "I only left a few surprises in some people's lockers."

"_Whose_ lockers and _what_ surprises?" Hartley looked murderous.

James's smile vanished. "Whose do you _think_, Hartley?"

"It's the first day of school, James!"

"They hurt you!"

"James, that was last semester—"

"I don't _care_, they're bullies, and they hurt you, and I _hate bullies._" James crossed his arms, something wild and slightly scary flaring in his eyes. "It's just a bit of paint, anyway. It'll wash off."

"_**JESSE!"**_

"Admittedly, this paint is pink and slightly sparkly," James said, stepping into Wally's locker. If Wally hadn't hung out with Rob and seen even weirder contortionist things, he might have been worried.

"Right in the masculinity," Wally observed. "Nice."

"Thank you, Wally. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to cower in your locker for my own personal safety." James slammed the door shut, and just in time. Three bulky looking boys stomped over to Wally and Hartley, drenched from head to toe in sparkly pink paint. The biggest of them grabbed Hartley by his expensive-looking jacket and shoved him up against the lockers. Wally winced.

"Where is he?" The boy demanded, leaning close to Hartley. Hartley's expression indicated bad breath. Poor guy. Wally had been captured by the Penguin once, back home. That guy had the worst breath in the history of _forever_. Sardines and cigarettes and escargot were _not_ a good combination.

"Hello Michael. Nice to see you. Who are you looking for, and why are you pink?"

"You know why," the big burly brute snarled. "And where's Jesse?"

"Haven't seen him yet," Hartley said, voice devoid of intonation or emotion. "The first bell hasn't rung yet, after all."

"I don't think you heard me right," Michael sneered, leaning even further into Hartley's personal space, which was incredibly awkward. Why did the badguys—or bullies in this case—think that getting all into someone's face made them seem macho and intimidating? Really, all it did was make a case that their violent tempers and habits of lashing out were rooted in their problems with their own sexuality. "Where's youw fwiend, Hawtley?" Michael said, speaking deliberately slow and loud, as if talking to a toddler.

Twin pink spots appeared on Hartley's face, and something briefly flashed across the boy's features, which Wally probably wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for superspeed. It was that look of someone who you really _shouldn't_ push too far; and the look of someone who was about to be pushed. (He knew that look. He'd seen it on Dick. And Artemis. And Conner. And Kaldur. And Aunt Iris. And Joan.) "I heard you perfectly," Hartley said, voice still flat. "And I said I don't know."

Wally _really_ didn't like the look on Michael's face. With mooks and bullies alike, it usually meant someone (usually someone who Wally liked) was about to get hurt. "Hey, maybe I've seen him. What's he look like?" Hartley shot him a look as the Three Generic Bullies turned towards Wally.

Michael gave a short description of James. "You seen him?"

If Wally was Artemis, he would probably do something badass, like kick him in the balls. If he was Conner, he would give the guy the intimidation stare. If he was Kaldur, he would do something passive aggressive and slightly scary. Wally, however, was not an assassin trained girl who could get away with it, a clone of Superman, nor an Atlantian soldier.

That left Dick and M'gann to use as role models. A plan instantly emerged in Wally's mind.

"I think so…" Wally said, frowning as though he was trying to remember. "A guy looking like that dashed past here soon after that weird noise. He was laughing like crazy and dodged in there." He nodded at the nearby girls' bathroom, which, judging from what he had seen of James' character, was perfectly plausible.

As expected, the three boys froze up. _Victory! _Hartley shot Wally a thin smile over their shoulder, one that seemed to express the sentiment 'thanks for trying, but they won't buy that.'

Clearly, Hartley had never taken lying lessons from the Boy Wonder.

The door swung open, and Wally cursed internally. So much for that plan.

And then he saw who walked out, and all such pessimistic thoughts fled his mind immediately.

She had long dark hair and tanned skin. She was of Asian descent judging from her features, with a cheerful smile. She wore a red v-neck shirt, tight fitting dark jeans, and barely any makeup as far as Wally could tell. A messenger bag was tossed over one shoulder, and she looked positively radiant.

Wally knew he was staring, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Hey!" Michael said. "Linda, babe! Did Jesse run in there?"

Linda's eyes flashed in a way that reminded Wally of Artemis (it was Artemis's patented _I'm going to kick your ass to next Thursday, and I won't even need my bow_ look). Wally's heart sped up a little bit. _She's probably going to say no, and I'm going to get my ass kicked, _he thought regretfully. Not the best way to make a good impression on a girl like her, Wally was willing to bet.

"Hey Michael!" Her voice wasn't like Wally had imagined it; peppy and high and sugary-sweet, not matching the ferocious look in her eyes. "Yeah, he's in there."

Hartley silently pumped a fist into the air.

"He's in the middle stall. Will you be a darling and get him out?" Linda stuck out her bottom lip, looking for all the world nothing more than a shallow, insipid girl asking her big, strong beau to fix a problem for her.

Michael puffed up. "Sure thing babe." He charged right in, the two others right behind him.

"They… they fell for that." Wally was amazed.

Linda laughed. "Where's James?" Her voice was deeper and softer and less artificial now.

Wally reached behind him and spun the combo into his locker, pulling it open.

"Thanks for the save," Wally told her, trying not to stare like a creepy person. "I'm Wally. I'm new."

"Linda Park," she said, shaking his hand quickly. "Now come on, we've gotta go!"

The four of them dashed down the hallway, just in time to hear a high pitched shriek fill the hallway.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

Class was surprisingly similar in this dimension. The teacher droned on about homework expectations for this semester, the whole class had a rather glazed look to them, and Wally was sitting next to a pretty girl who probably would never give him the time of day.

Linda was doodling on the back cover of a notebook with a Sharpie pen and seemed rather ignorant of Wally's presence. Wally sighed, letting his arms fall to the desk.

_First day of school still sucks_, Wally thought, stifling a yawn. _Probably should let the others know. _

Something slipped onto his desk-a small, folded piece of recycled notebook paper. Wally unfolded it with great care, keeping an eye on the teacher as he did so.

_**James, Hartley and I are going to Harry's after school today,**_ Linda's handwriting was neat and tiny cursive. _**Join us?**_

**Where's Harry's?** He replied, slipping it back. Linda's mouth quirked upwards in a smile.

_**Meet us at the flagpole at three. James is driving.**_

* * *

Linda grinned at him, looking absolutely gorgeous in an elegant navy peacoat. "You came!"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Wally told her, smiling.

"Good to know!" Hartley said, cheeks already red from the cold. "James's on his way!"

"What does he drive?" Wally asked, scanning the parking lot.

Hartley and Linda exchanged a look behind Wally's back.

"Let's just say..." Linda began.

"You'll know it when you see it," Hartley finished.

Just then, Wally's attention was drawn to a large, dented Ford that had been painted bright orange. The window rolled down, revealing James Jesse's grinning face. "Get in!" He cheered.

Hartley grabbed shotgun, leaving Wally in the back with Linda.

The interior of the car was in better condition than the exterior. The seats were tan faux leather, the radio seemed to be in surprisingly good condition, and everything was scented faintly of bubble gum.

"Ever been to Harry's, Wally?" Linda asked, fiddling with her cyan scarf.

"Nope!" Wally said cheerfully. "I'm new to the Twin Cities."

"Where you from?" Hartley asked, fiddling with the radio.

"Nebraska," Wally said. "Small town."

"Why'd you leave?" Linda asked.

Wally looked away.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said quietly.

Linda grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry," she said, squeezing.

Wally felt himself flush. "It's no big deal," he muttered.

* * *

Harry's turned out to be a diner/bar with linoleum floors and bad lighting. It was almost empty, but the four of them crowded into a too-small booth together. A large, gruff woman walked up to them, wearing an ugly blue uniform and a white apron. "What will it be, kids?" She asked, producing a notepad from her apron.

"Chocolate milk," James chirped, pulling out a yoyo from the depths of his green coat. He paused thinking. "And a BLT."

"Strawberry shake and fries," Hartley said. "Thanks Lucy."

Lucy smiled at Hartley fondly. "Sure thing. Let me guess." She turned to Linda. "Coffee, black, three sugars, and a slice of pie?"

"Got it in one," Linda grinned. "What pie do you have today?'

"French silk, cherry, rhubarb, apple cinnamon, apple nutmeg, and banana cream," Lucy rattled off, not even breathing.

"Slice of cherry please," Linda said She turned to Wally. "Order whatever you like; Hartley's paying."

"What do you recommend?" Wally asked, meeting Linda's look. They gazed into each other's eyes for a long while.

Something hit Wally's face, pulling him out of the moment. "Hot chocolate, extra whip, and apple nutmeg pie for the newbie," James told Lucy, lowering the straw the was holding (the cover being what had hit Wally's face.)

"Got it," she said, scribbling on her pad. "Be back with the drinks soon." She walked away.

"You guys come here often?" Wally asked, looking at the three.

"Every Monday and Thursday," Hartley said, carefully moving the straw dispenser away from James. "There's band on Wednesday and Friday, robotics club on Tuesday, and newspaper on Friday."

"Robotics club?' Wally asked James.

"I like making things," James said cheerfully, swapping the caps on the salt and pepper shakers.

Linda muttered something that sounded like "More like making them explode," and pulled out her eco-friendly notebook and a fancy pen.

"What about you?" Hartley asked. "What did you do in Nebraska?"

"I did Chemistry club," Wally said. "Robotics club sounds cool though."

"You can do both," James said, reaching across Hartley to try to reach the straw dispenser. "I do!"

"He does," Hartley sighed, moving it out of James' reach. "He's such a geek."

"And proud of it!" James said, struggling. "And then Hartley here's our musician!"

"What do you play?" Wally asked.

"Flute," Hartley said, glaring at James.

"And piano," Linda said, writing in her notebook. "And the drums, and the saxophone, and the cornet and the french horn and the piccolo-"

"Flute is my main one though," Hartley said, coloring. "I'm not very good-"

James burst out laughing, just in time for Lucy to appear with the drinks.

Wally accepted the maroon ceramic mug, which was completely covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup. "Food will be ready soon kids," Lucy told them.

"Thanks Lucy," Hartley said, pushing his straw into the thick pink shake.

Turned out that pie at Harry's was _awesome_. Wally ate three whole slices, listening to Hartley and Linda marvel at his ability to eat the whole time.

"Do you even stop to _breathe_?" Linda asked, eyes wide.

"Shometimes," he said with his mouth full of delicious appley goodness.

"Ewwwww," Hartley muttered, wrinkling his nose.

"Wuss," James said, fascinated. The prankster was clearly very curious about Wally's metabolism.

Wally finally came up for air when his phone went off.

-_Meeting at your place tonight?_ -Dick-

-_Talk to you then -Wally_- He texted back quickly. He sighed, and stood up. "I have to go. My Aunt Megan's expecting me."

"See you Wally!" Hartley said, smiling.

"See ya tomorrow man!" James said. "Remember to avoid Michael!"

"Will do," Wally said, wincing. "See you guys. See you Linda."

"Goodbye Wally," Linda said, smiling at him.


	4. Dick Grayson 1

**Location: Gotham City**

**Date: January 1 2005**

**Time: 23:12 EST**

Dick perched on the branch of a large oak tree just outside of Gotham City. He arched his back slightly, elevating his view by a few centimeters in order to be able to see properly through the window without being spotted by the inhabitants within.

The scene spread out before him was warm and cozy. Doctor Thomas Wayne, a thinner, older version of Bruce with salt-and-pepper hair and a face covered in laugh lines sat on the couch, a cup of tea sitting by his hand. Martha was reading from a book, her hair grey as steel and elegant in its bun. Alfred stood to the side, smiling slightly, the same as ever, impeccable in his suit, and mustache. Bruce was doing paperwork, a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. Alfred's cinnamon cookies (a staple of autumn months in Wayne Manor) were scattered on plates around the room, as were bowls of apples and wreaths of leaves. Alfred adored the fall, and it showed in how the Manor was decorated.

Dick leaned against the rough trunk of the tree and brought his knees close to his chest. He hooked his chin on them and continued watching the bizarre scene from his worsened angle.

"Bruce," Martha called, looking up from her book. Her voice sounded like it did in the few home-videos that had survived the years back home. "Is Selina coming over for dinner tomorrow?"

"Yes Mom," Bruce was smiling. He looked so _young_. Dick felt a sudden stab of longing that was nauseating, nearly making him lose his balance on the tree as he tried to block the memories of basketball games and late night patrols and _belonging_. "She's excited to get to meet you."

"It'll be so nice to finally meet her," Doctor Thomas said, sipping his tea and smiling.

Bruce laughed, easy and carefree. Dick felt he'd been punched in the stomach. Repeatedly. By Conner.

This wasn't his home. This wasn't his world. The scene in front of him was everything that Bruce ever wanted, but it was not for _him_. There was no room for Dick Grayson in this Bruce Wayne's life.

Dick had known that. The whole _team_ knew that, about their families in this world. The roles were different here, he knew that.

It didn't help.

A hand appeared on his shoulder. Artemis, wearing a black hoodie and jeans, was perched on the branch next to him. Her gaze was kind. "Come on Dick," she said quietly. She barely spared a glance for the scene within the Manor. "Let's go."

The two of them slipped off the grounds, avoiding motion detectors and security cameras with ease. (Wayne Manor might have the best security system that a family of billionaires could buy [which was _very_ impressive, if that wasn't obvious], but it was no match for a pair of stealthy badass normals.)

Artemis had stashed her motorcycle nearby. It was black and sleek, with two helmets sitting on the seat; one green and one black.

"My place or yours?" Artemis asked, tossing Dick the black helmet. He caught it with his left hand and slipped it over his head. He made a mental note to start upgrading the helmets soon. They'd need some serious tech in them when they started fighting crime.

"Mine," Dick said, wrinkling his nose dramatically. "Yours has roaches." (Artemis had eloquently complained about them in a very long series of text messages Tuesday night.)

"Not any more," Artemis sang, her smile slightly vicious. Dick was suddenly very relieved that he was not one of the unfortunate insects that had been living in Artemis's apartment.

Artemis zoomed through the streets of Gotham like a madwoman, weaving through traffic without regards for legal speed limits. If they were in any other city, Dick would have been worried about being pulled over by the police for speeding. However, this was Gotham. The cops had bigger worries.

Dick's apartment was small and sparsely furnished. There was a microwave, a small stove, a bed, a couch that Conner and M'gann had scavenged from the dump, fridge and freezer, and a surprisingly high-end laptop. Artemis made a beeline for the freezer.

"Rocky Road," Artemis said approvingly as she opened the door. "Good choice. Queue up a movie. We're having a night in."

"What movie?" Dick asked, typing on his laptop. Blueprints and schematics appeared and vanished as a long list of movie files popped up on the screen.

"Pick a Disney movie. _Any_ Disney movie," Artemis declared.

"Hercules it is," Dick said, selecting a file at random.

The two of them sat down on the couch, sharing a tub of ice cream as the familiar castle appeared on the screen.

"Artemis?" Dick asked after a moment.

"Yeah?" Artemis said around the spoon in her mouth.

"Thanks."

She reached over and ruffled his hair. "Anytime."

* * *

**Location: Gotham City**

**Date: January 21 2005**

**Time: 7:58 EST**

Gotham Academy was the same in this world, to the very last detail. It was slightly unnerving, walking through the hallways without people looking at him in familiarity. He was a stranger again, which was an odd feeling. Dick adjusted his tie and fixed his most charming smile on his face. He knew how he needed to act for this school, and he intended to play the part.

"Dick Grayson?"

_No way._ He turned around, flashing his widest smile. "Who wants to know?"

Barbara Gordon, neat and pretty in her Academy uniform, her hair long and glossy and _wow_ he had really missed her, smiled politely at him. "I'm Barbara Gordon. I'm supposed to show you around."

"Assigned, or volunteer?" Dick asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Assigned," she admitted, a slight twist in her mouth indicating a combination of irritation and amusement.

"Sorry about that then. Nice to meet you Barbara."

Her smile was a little more genuine this time, and the sight of it was absolutely wonderful. "Well, it probably won't be _too _much trouble. Do you have your schedule?"

"Yep!" Dick said, flourishing the piece of yellow paper that he had received in the mail a few days previously. She took it from him with a wry smile. "Honors English 9, Pre-Calc, Honors Biology, Chinese III, Honors World History, Computer Science and... metalworking?" Babs read, eyebrows climbing up her face. "Quite a schedule there, Grayson. Did you test in?"

"For _everything _but computers and metal," he griped. "The tests were _hard_.

"Poor Grayson," she smirked. "I'm sure you managed. I've got pretty much the same schedule, so why don't I show you around?"

Dick beamed and walked alongside her, trying to keep himself from skipping. She was just like _his_ Barbara, right down to the way she walked. A rush of affection and nostalgia overtook him. Time to turn on the patented Grayson charm.

"So... what extracurriculars do you guys have here?"

She smiled at him, real and wide and absolutely beautiful, and Dick mentally punched the air. He was already working his magic. "Well, there's the sports teams, then there's the matheletes..."

Dick followed her into Gotham Academy, not realizing that he was grinning like an idiot the whole time.

* * *

Bette Kane sat with them at lunch, which kind of broke his mind for approximately 3.14 seconds. She then grinned at him, completely shattering his world view for all eternity. "Hey Babs, you didn't introduce me to your new friend!" She said as a way to introduce herself. She plopped herself down across from them, brandishing a lunchbox and a messenger bag as if they were weapons. .

Babs sighed. "Dick, this is Bette Kane-yes, one of _the_ Kanes. She's my friend and slightly insane. Just smile and nod. Bette, this is Dick. He's new and brainy and a freshmen." She said the three adjectives in rapid sequence, as if hoping that the combination would scare Bette away.

Bette shrugged and grinned at Babs. "I hang out with you, don't I?" Babs made a face in response.

Dick laughed. "Sophmore?"

"Yep!" Bette flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder. She pulled out an apple from her lunchbox and took a bite out of it with a flourish, which probably should be impossible, but she managed it.

"So where you from, newbie?" Bette asked, twisting the stem of her apple in between dramatic bites.

"Bludhaven," Dick said. "I was home-schooled."

"Why'd you come here then?"

Dick froze. Babs had been the one to ask that question. "My dad," he said after a moment. "He... left." It felt awful to say that. He sent a mental apology to Bruce, _his_ Bruce.

Babs placed a hand on his shoulder, looking guilty. "Dick... I'm sorry..."

Dick flashed his best _I'm Dick Grayson, I'm fine, really, now I'm about to prove how charming I can be so you forget all about what you just saw_ smile at her. "It's fine," he told her. "So, you on the gymnastics team too, Bette?"

Bette beamed, clearly grateful for the change in subject. "Yep! And the tennis team. And the dance team. And I'm involved in martial arts!"

"Which ones?" Dick asked, a bit impressed by this slightly hyperactive version of Bette Kane.

"Judo, taekwondo, and I just started karate," Bette said. "Not as many as Babs, but I'm still _pretty_ good." She dragged out the 'pretty' much longer than necessary, her smile slightly cocky.

"You fight too?" Dick asked, turning to Babs.

She rolled her eyes. "Judo, mantis kung-fu, escrima, taekwondo, and capoeta."

Dick's eyebrows shot up on their own free will. "Impressive."

She smiled, fingering one strand of wavy red hair. "My dad's a cop. He believes in me being able to defend myself."

"That's cool," Dick said. "I know a bit of escrima myself."

"Awesome!" Bette said, grinning so widely that Dick was pretty sure it was about to run off and get a life of its own. "Now you just need to join the gymnastics team!" She looked at him critically. "You certainly _look_ flexible enough."

Dick grinned at her. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the Matheletes."

"You corrupted him already," Bette said accusingly to Babs.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Babs said, smiling.

Dick hid his smile in his sandwich.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
